Skokie woman gives judge letter about crash that killed boy, 9

Brian L. CoxSpecial to the Tribune

Hanin Goma, the Skokie woman charged with driving under the influence of drugs in a May accident that killed a 9-year-old boy, appeared in court today and handed a judge a letter expressing her feelings about the crash.

The letter was not read aloud in court, but Goma's attorney, Mike Goggin, told Cook County Circuit Court Judge Lauren Gottainer Edidin that his client wrote it "to let the court know her feelings about this."

Goma, 23, of the 5000 block of Wright Terrace in Skokie, is charged with felony aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death, and misdemeanor driving under the influence of drugs, in the May 22 accident that claimed the life of where Carter Vo, 9, of the 4600 block of Madison Street in Skokie.

Goma made no statements in court. She has pleaded not guilty to all charges, but prosecutors and Goggin have been meeting with the judge in the case. The next hearing is scheduled for Jan. 24. Today, Goggin told the court that Goma wanted to talk to her family before deciding whether or not she would take a plea deal.

Vo's father, Nhu Vo, has said that prosecutors have told him that they have offered Goma a deal that would see her sentenced to a five-year prison term in exchange for agreeing to plead guilty in the case. Prosecutors have declined to comment on that.

Under current sentencing guidelines, Goma could be sentenced to between 3 and 14 years in jail if she were found guilty of all charges at trial, officials said.

Shortly after Goma's arrest, prosecutors cited her previous arrests for drug possession and they also said she had failed to attend court ordered drug school classes in that case. Goma, who is in jail in lieu of bond, had been charged with leaving the scene of another accident earlier this year. Officials say that she was out on bond at the time of the accident that killed Carter Vo.

Sharon Johnson a victim advocate with The Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists, based in Schaumburg, was in court for today’s hearing. She said the Vo family is still struggling to come to terms with Carter's death, and that they want to see Goma sentenced to jail time.

"It's very difficult for them, as it is for all families in this position," said Johnson. "This poor family is struggling every day with the loss of their little boy."

She also said that the courts are seeing more cases of drivers charged with aggravated driving under the influence resulting in death, and related offenses, because blood tests are mandatory when someone is killed in a traffic crash and methods for testing for drugs have improved in recent years.